Review: The box office gives us a pair of must-watch murder mysteries in Death on the Nile and The Batman

March 8, 2022March 8, 2022 ~ jrike10 ~ Leave a comment

Note: This is a spoiler-free review. It’s hard to beat a great mystery movie. With a special emphasis on intrigue and surprise and limitless permutations of structure — and plenty of room for stylistic flourishes — mysteries are well-built for the medium of the cinema and ensure the intellect is up to par with a … Continue reading Review: The box office gives us a pair of must-watch murder mysteries in Death on the Nile and The Batman

Spoiler Review: No Way Home is every bit the precious tritium Spider-Man fans are clamoring for

December 21, 2021December 21, 2021 ~ jrike10 ~ Leave a comment

NOTE: This is a spoiler-filled review. Read at your own discretion! I’m not a huge Marvel guy. Whenever I review or watch a Marvel movie, I come in with an outsider’s perspective. Sure, I saw Endgame and Infinity War in the theater, but the series doesn’t capture my imagination the same way that, say, Star … Continue reading Spoiler Review: No Way Home is every bit the precious tritium Spider-Man fans are clamoring for

Reviews: Dune and House of Gucci make for a memorable November in the box office, and for different reasons

November 26, 2021 ~ jrike10 ~ Leave a comment

I’ve had a good time at the movie theater this fall, having thoroughly enjoyed Shang-Chi and the Ten Rings in September and No Time to Die on its opening weekend on October 10. Two more flicks captured my attention and promised to do the same, science-fiction adaptation Dune and drama House of Gucci. As of … Continue reading Reviews: Dune and House of Gucci make for a memorable November in the box office, and for different reasons

A Million More on the Way: Exploring the Economic Exploitation of Technology in Jurassic Park and Attack of the Clones

June 22, 2021 ~ jrike10 ~ Leave a comment

The following is an essay I wrote as my final paper for my Film Technology class at Northwestern. Enjoy! Directors George Lucas and Stephen Spielberg transformed the cinema industry in the 1970s, sharing both a friendship and status as leaders in the New Hollywood movement. The 70s saw the pair release blockbusters, Spielberg’s Jaws (1975) … Continue reading A Million More on the Way: Exploring the Economic Exploitation of Technology in Jurassic Park and Attack of the Clones

Pixar installment Soul is worthy of holiday cheer

December 26, 2020 ~ jrike10 ~ Leave a comment

2020 has been a strange year for movies. The future of the theater, already in question with the rise of streaming services (and movie ticket costs) and recent developments such as MoviePass, became even murkier in a global pandemic. Many movie theaters closed in March and haven't opened since, including those in my home state … Continue reading Pixar installment Soul is worthy of holiday cheer

Why The Incredibles is the Greatest Movie of All Time

November 10, 2020 ~ jrike10 ~ Leave a comment

The following essay is part of an upcoming Riker Scale project. Enjoy! The distinction of favorite movie is a subjective one. Each person is entitled to their own taste in film, and the variety in film opinions is part of what makes talking about movies so fun. At the same time, I firmly believe that … Continue reading Why The Incredibles is the Greatest Movie of All Time

Excerpt: Reviewing the Tenet Experience

October 16, 2020 ~ jrike10 ~ Leave a comment

The following is a spoiler-free review of the Christopher Nolan film Tenet. The review is part of an upcoming movie-related project. When I was a kid, I had this game called “Mindflex.” The user would strap on a headset with earlobe clamps and it would supposedly measure the intensity of your brainwaves to control the … Continue reading Excerpt: Reviewing the Tenet Experience

In turbulent Disney era, Clone Wars triumphs

May 4, 2020 ~ jrike10 ~ Leave a comment

How big is a galaxy? That’s the question Star Wars fans have tackled for decades. Are the original three Star Wars movies “the real Star Wars”, as generations that grew up with Luke and Leia often attest? Or are just the first six, the originals and the prequels, the legitimate ones, like many Star Wars … Continue reading In turbulent Disney era, Clone Wars triumphs

The Riker Scale, Four Years Later

February 8, 2020 ~ jrike10 ~ Leave a comment

Every year, I update my list of my top 100 movies, the Riker Scale. On the list, I rate each movie from 1-100 (79 is the cutoff as of the 2020 edition) and include information such as rating, year and director. Maintaining the Riker Scale has been extremely fun over the years, and it serves … Continue reading The Riker Scale, Four Years Later

Star Wars sequels meet exhilarating end with Rise of Skywalker

December 22, 2019 ~ jrike10 ~ Leave a comment

NOTE: This is a spoiler-free review, until the final paragraph where I ramble on my spoiler-filled thoughts. Thursday marked the culmination of not only the Star Wars saga, but also an era in my Star Wars fandom. The trailer for the latest and final installment, The Rise of Skywalker, started with a short montage of … Continue reading Star Wars sequels meet exhilarating end with Rise of Skywalker